PUBLIC RELATIONS. May 2006 Report. Prepared by: Wit Tuttell Public Relations Director MEDIA VISITS/ TRADE SHOWS

Transcription

1 PUBLIC RELATIONS May 2006 Report Prepared by: Wit Tuttell Public Relations Director MEDIA VISITS/ TRADE SHOWS Travel City Direct UK Press Group Working with the UK tour operator Travel City Direct, Mary hosted a group of British travel writers in the area May 1-4. The travel writers represented some of the prestigious publications in the United Kingdom, including The Daily Mirror, The Press Association, Love It Magazine, and The Daily Record in Scotland. The Clearwater Cay Club graciously offered to host this group of four writers, and one escort and all writers expressed their gratitude to the Cay Club for the spectacular accommodations. While in the area, the group visited Fort De Soto Park, Clearwater Beach, Caladesi Island State Park, Tarpon Springs, and downtown St. Petersburg. Pow Wow Trade Show, Orlando Wit attended the POW WOW Trade Show in Orlando, May The show featured more than 250 journalists from across the globe. We were one of 150 destinations who reserved a table at the Media Marketplace specifically for journalists. Mary and James joined Wit for the marketplace and we had several one-on-one meetings with journalists from our top international markets including the UK, Canada, Germany as well as the United States. CVB Regional Press Trip with Tampa Bay CVB Mary teamed up with the Tampa Bay CVB to organize and host a joint press trip called Wet & Wild May Five travel writers visited our area and the Tampa Bay area. The group consisted of U.S. travel writers from across the country, and one from Canada. The group spent two days in our area, experiencing our wet attractions then spent the remaining two days in the Tampa area, seeing all the wildlife attractions. The TradeWinds Island Resort was generous enough to host the group and provide a welcome breakfast. Felice & Peter Hardy, With Kids Magazine (UK)

2 Mary assisted Felice and Peter Hardy, British Travel Writers, with their recent trip to our area. The Hilton Clearwater Beach hosted the Hardys during their stay May 12-14, which focused on fun and active things to do alone and with the kids. While in our area, the Hardys experienced tennis at the RenissanceVinoy Resort and Golf Club, and gathered information on KaYOGA. They also enjoyed a number of area restaurants. Felice Hardy is the Editor of With Kids Magazine and her husband Peter is a writer for the Daily Mail and the Evening Standard. Frank Storbrauck and Tom Dedek, Germany s Gay City.Com Working with Visit Florida and the Peninsula Inn & Spa in Gulfport, James hosted these German travel writers in the area May 6-8. The website has a viewership of 210,000 people per month. Christine Roberts, South Africa Star Wit worked with JC Resorts to host this South African writer May 2-5. She was in Florida to attend the Pow Wow trade show in Orlando. Ms. Roberts writes for several publications throughout South Africa. She visited our area several years ago and wrote a very favorable article. The Star has a daily circulation of 164,364. Gerald Huft, Germany s Mice Magazine Working with the Sheraton Sand Key, James hosted this Editor in Chief May He visited several sites throughout the area. Mice Magazine is an incentive magazine for upscale travelers. It has a monthly circulation of 15,300. Mr. Huft also writes for the International Golf Guide, which receives four million hits per year. MEDIA ASSISTANCE Pending Stories (18) Sara Kennedy, United Airline s Hemispheres magazine (dining in St. Pete); Carrie Alexander, Orlando Sentinel (Tarpon Springs); David Downing, Zagat Survey (area restaurants); Jay Clarke, Miami Herald (condo vacations); Louise Gaboury, Canada s Bel Age magazine (area museums); Terri Hardin, Successful Meetings (area update); Trevor Adams, CanJet Airlines inflight - Aloft Magazine (area update); Lisa Parsons, Senior Voice of Florida (area update); Donna Singer, Florida Monthly magazine (area arts); Carolyn Blundell, Canada s Life & Fashion Magazine (healthy vacations); Matthew Hampton, UK s Travel Weekly (Fort De Soto); Kevin Brown, Today's Golfer (golf info); Christy Ortiz, USA3000 Airlines In-flight Magazine (area update); Tammy Carter, Orlando Sentinel Magazine (St. Petersburg and beaches); Julie Fitzgerald, Cincinnati Inquirer (Fort De Soto); Simon Veness, UK s Brit s Guide to Florida (area update); Bonnie Becerra, WIIH Univision Indianapolis (area update); and Gordon Garrison, freelance (Dr. Beach). Local Media (7)

3 Steve Huettel, St. Petersburg Times (community relations for CVB); Steve Nichols, FOX 13 (gay travel marketing); Laurie Davison, Bay News 9 (Red Tide workshop); Kim Smith, Bay News 9 (National Tourism Week), David Sommer Tampa Tribune (Caladesi Island #2 Beach) Shannon Banken Tampa Tribune (Snowbirds and taxes) and Carlos Moncado Tampa Tribune (condo conversions). Press Releases (5) We developed and distributed releases for: CVB National Tourism Week event, CVB Andretti/Green Indy 500 partnership, Ryan Wells benefit event, NCCAA Baseball Championships and the National High School Gymnastics Championships. Story Leads (3) Through the Travel Industry Association of America and Society of American Travel Writers, we provided informational leads to: Diane Slawych, Toronto Sun (summer events); Allison Blake, Waterway Magazine (Fourth of July events); and Laura Daily, AARP magazine (literary travel). VISIT FLORIDA PARTNER OPPORTUNITIES VISIT FLORIDA Media Leads Provided information to Visit Florida for: Dena Wane, Baltimore Times (family travel); Madelyn Miller, Travellady.com (drink specialties); Paula Thrasher, Atlanta Journal- Constitution (luxury travel); Lieve Simeons, freelance (animal programs); and Cynthia Janssens, freelance (golf). LOCAL INDUSTRY ASSISTANCE Local Industry Media Assistance: The PR department provided information on local media for the new Hilton Carillon Park; Worked with the Salvador Dali Museum to develop images for its new family friendly tours; Provided extra copies of the CVB s what s new release for the Safety Harbor Resort & Spa; andworked with the Pinellas Planning Council on tourism data for their marketing plan. Assisting other CVB and County Departments: We assisted several other departments with ongoing projects including: Provided the CVB s Advertising department and Ad Agency with contacts and information for their sales video shoot; Assisted the CVB Sports Commission with promotion of its Big East championship baseball tournament; and Worked with the Hospitality Education Department to promote the CVB s National Tourism Week Luncheon and other activities.

4 On-Going Projects: Each month, the PR department is charged with updating the CVB s website calendar of events, and compiling, editing and distributing two editions of the E-News CVB update. We also regularly research and answer contact form questions submitted by consumers to CVB website. Mary, James and I are also members of several area tourism committees for area attractions and events, and the department attends the county s News Communications meetings. ADDITIONAL PR ACTIVITIES UK and German Media Activities: See attached agency reports. Outdoor/Nature PR Activities: AuCoin & Associates, our Nature/Outdoors PR firm, distributed a 1,600-word feature release to media describing Pinellas County's preserves titled Florida's Walks on the Wild Side. In other news, the agency gave a short interview about tarpon fishing in May and June in Florida's Beach with the Great American Outdoor Trails radio program (49 stations in Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas); Set up a tarpon fishing trip and provided information to British writer Chris Wilshire for an article that will be distributed to European newspapers; Hosted Canadian freelance writer Katharine Fletcher for magazine photography and information-gathering at Egmont Key (shelling) and Weedon Island Preserve (Kayaking); Initiated work on a feature story about beach stewardship; Attended two-day workshop on watershed issues at Brooker Creek Preserve; Invited and received acceptances from major newspaper and magazine writers to visit Florida's Beach this year to develop stories about the nature and outdoor opportunities. They include Sue Cocking of the Miami Herald, Paul Smith, a columnist for 50 newspapers (Lee Enterprises) and Doug Pike of the Houston Chronicle and Provided information to writer Lawrence Hollyfield for a fishing article for the Florida's Beach website. National Tourism Week The PR department worked with the local media to promote tourism information for National Tourism Week. We focused on the economic value of tourism and what that means to residents of the area. Florida s Beach Media Website The CVB is working with Miles Media to renovate the PR website on Floridasbeach.com. We are improving the amount of information that will be available to media online. Upcoming Press Trips/Events The CVB PR staff is working on several upcoming press trips including programs that will feature family travel for the summer and spa trips for upscale travelers.

5 UPCOMING TRADE SHOWS/PRESS GROUPS 1. CVB German Media Mission: May 28 June 2, Media meetings in top markets. 2. NATJA Conference: May 29-June 2, Attend media association conference. 3. SATW Meeting: June 7-13, Meet with Atlantic/Caribbean travel writers. 4. PRSA/SATW Meeting: June 17-21, Meet with writers in Washington D.C. 5. CVB Family Press Trip: July 19-23, Bring travel writers to the area.